Pirates of Bollywood and the Karnataka's Goonda's Act Bangalore, India

BANGALORE, India - Aug. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- The Karnataka Government has recently passed a Bill to add move, music and software pirates to the notorious Goonda's Act. Unlike other similar Acts in Maharastra and Kerala, it has been reported that Karnataka's Act covers online piracy also. Considering the rampant copyright infringement among the public, especially through the social media, the Act opens the door  for police to take action against any person in the general public. Simply put, all the police need to do is monitor the web, and shortlist offenders to be put behind bars.

The problem with the Goonda's Act unlike liability under the Copyright Law is that the decision to arrest potential offenders is not influenced by exemptions to infringement of copyrighted works, and the detainee does not have a right to approach the Court for relief. A detainee arrested under the Act is at the mercy of the review committee, which  may, if it so desires, decide to keep a person in detention for upto an year.


Dr. Kalyan's Pirates of Bollywood, a law thriller around film production, piracy and organized crime, throws light on how the Goonda's Act may be used to further the interests of people with deep pockets. The story of a young DVD sellor caught in a film producer's piracy enforcement scheme, and his plight thereafter, elucidates some of the evils of  laws like the Goonda's Act. The tale, not far from reality, makes one wonder if  it makes sense to apply such draconian law to copyright piracy.

On the other side of the story,  many reports indicate that Pirates and money from piracy are involved in organized crime and terrorism. This is in fact the theme of Dr. Kalyan's novel. The role being played by piracy in terrorism and crime necessitates strong action, and such laws, many scholars claim are the need of the hour. Otherwise, they say, police  force will be nothing, but a toothless tiger.


Talking about Goonda's Act, Dr. Kalyan said, "Copyright piracy is of two types. One, driven by the criminals network, and two, driven by the common man. While it is absolutely essential to combat the criminals  sternly, and dry them out, the approach towards the common man must be subtle. Spreading awareness, and other management models, as suggested by Prof. Arul must be considered."

While focussing on disseminating knowledge about copyright law, Dr. Kalyan's Pirates of Bollywood takes one on a thrilling adventure of a fierce battle between producers and pirates. You may get an advance copy of the novel for yourself by visiting: http://www.bananaip.com/sinapse-blog/2014/08/dr-kalyans-l...